Papers of Hugh Johnson, 1946-1999
Repository
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics.
College Park, MD 20740
Papers created by
Johnson, Hugh M.
Size of collection
4.25 linear feet (9 boxes)
Short description of collection
This collection contains primarily correspondence, with notes, photographs, and notebooks focusing on the research of Hugh Johnson, an astronomer specializing in x-ray astronomy.
Language(s) of collection
English
Unit ID
AR 1999-212
Hugh Johnson was born on March 4, 1923 in Des Moines, Iowa. He earned his AB in 1948 and his SB in 1949 from the University of Chicago. In 1953 he received his Ph.D. in astronomy from the University of Chicago, where he worked as an Assistant Astronomer at Yerkes Observatory from 1950 to 1953. He was an Assistant Professor at the University of Iowa from 1954 to 1959. He was an Associate Professor and Associate Astronomer at the University of Arizona from 1960 to 1962. Johnson was an Associate Scientist at the National Radio Astronomy Observatory during 1962 and 1963. From 1963 to 1986, Johnson was a Staff Scientist at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company. Johnson was also a Research Associate at the Yerkes Observatory from 1953 to 1960, a Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University in 1958 and 1959, and a lecturer at Stanford University in 1971 through 1975 and 1980 through 1982. Johnson was a member of the American Astronomical Society and the International Astronomical Union. His research interests included x-ray astronomy, nebulae, galaxies, galactic structure, and interstellar matter.
The collection is centered on Johnson's time at Lockheed Space & Missile Company (1963-1986), with some material from his work before and after this period. The bulk of the research material he saved is on x-ray astronomy. The collection is comprised mainly of correspondence (both professional and personal), with lesser amounts of notes, newspaper clippings, and notebooks. The correspondents include: Helmet A. Abt, Lawrence H. Aller, Frank M. Bateson, Bart J. Bok, Riccardo Giacconi, David S. Heeschen, George Herbig, William Hiltner, W.E. Howard III, Helen Hogg, Willem Luyten, N.U. Mayall, Donald Osterbrock, Stuart Pottasch, Arcadio Poveda, Frederick D. Seward, Lindsey Smith, Theodore Snow, Bruce Stephenson, Polydore Swings, Yervant Terzian, and Gart Westerhout. Some correspondence related to specific research subjects, observatories, meetings, and programs is accompanied by research notes and photographs. The collection also contains notebooks from courses at the University of Chicago (taught by Subrahmanyan Chandrasekhar, Gerard Peter Kuiper, and Bengt Strömgren), the 1964 Hamburg IAU meeting, Yerkes Observatory Colloquia, and an NSF conference for teachers of astronomy at Berkeley in 1954.
This collection is open to researchers except for the Referee Reports, which require permission of the donor or donor's heirs until 2075.
Researchers must have an approved access application on file in order to access archival materials. https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/item-request.
These papers have been indexed in the International Catalog of Sources for History of Physics and Allied Sciences (ICOS) using the following terms. Those seeking related materials should search under these terms.
Persons
Abt, Helmut A.
Aller, Lawrence H. (Lawrence Hugh), 1913-
Bateson, Frank M.
Bok, Bart Jan, 1906-
Chandrasekhar, S. (Subrahmanyan), 1910-
Giacconi, Riccardo.
Heeschen, David S.
Herbig, George.
Hiltner, William Albert, 1914-1991.
Hogg, Helen Sawyer, 1905-
Howard, W. E. III.
Kuiper, Gerard Peter, 1905-
Luyten, Willem Jacob, 1899-
Mayall, N. U. (Nicholas Ulrich), 1906-
Osterbrock, Donald E.
Pottasch, Stuart.
Poveda, Arcadio.
Seward, Frederick D.
Smith, Lindsey.
Snow, Theodore.
Stephenson, Bruce.
Strömgren, bengt, 1908-
Swings, P. (Polydore), 1906-
Terzian, Yervant.
Westerhout, Gart.
Institutions
American Astronomical Society.
International Astronomical Union.
Lockheed Missiles and Space Company.
Subject terms
Astronomers---Correspondence.
Astronomy.
Galaxies.
Interstellar matter.
Nebulae.
X-ray astronomy.
Genre terms
Notebooks.
This collection has been divided into six series: Series I. Alphabetical Correspondence; Series II. Subject Correspondence; Series III. Johnson-Stephenson Correspondence; Series IV. IAU Tapes Correspondence; Series V. Notebooks; and Series VI. Referee Reports.
The arrangement of the collection follows Johnson's original order. The Alphabetical Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by correspondent and then in reverse chronological order. The folders which contain only one correspondent were originally separated out by Johnson. The Subject Correspondence is arranged alphabetically by subject and then in reverse chronological order. The Stephenson-Johnson Correspondence and the Referee Reports have also been organized in reverse chronological order by date. The IAU Tape Correspondence and Notebooks have been arranged in chronological order.
The IAU Tapes Correspondence was received from Hugh Johnson in October 1999 and the remainder of the collection was received in March 2000.
The collection was processed by Heather McBride in May and June 2001.
Newspaper articles were photocopied onto acid-free paper and the originals were removed from the collection. All materials were rehoused in archival quality, acid-free folders and boxes.
Cite as: [Folder title, date; Folder number, Box number], Hugh M. Johnson Papers, 1946-1999. American Institute of Physics, Niels Bohr Library, College Park, MD, 20740 USA.
Johnson, Hugh M., Address at International Astronomical Union Mtg., 1967; (Highlight of Astronomy-X-Ray Astronomy), Optical and Radio Information. 1967. 7-86-(1-3). Advance notice of two business days is required for use of audio and video tapes.
Title
Finding Aid to the Papers of Hugh Johnson, 1946-1999
Publisher
American Institute of Physics. Center for History of Physics.
One Physics Ellipse
College Park, MD 20740
nbl@aip.org
December 28, 2004
Encoding Information
Machine-readable finding aid encoded in EAD 2002 by Katherine A. Hayes on December 28, 2004. Any revisions made to this finding aid occurred as part of the editing and encoding process.
Boxes 1-5
This series contains correspondence both sent and received by Johnson. The majority of the correspondence pertains to his research at Lockheed Missiles & Space Company, but also covers some of Johnson's work before 1963. Also contains personal correspondence with other scientists.
| Box 1 |
Folder 1 |
A 1988-1952 |
|
Folder 2 |
Babcock-Beavers 1991-1947 |
|
Folder 3 |
Becker-Bowyer 1987-1946 |
|
Folder 4 |
Bradt-Butler 1990-1950 |
|
Folder 5 |
Bashkin 1972-1959 |
|
Folder 7 |
Cameron-Clark 1983-1955 |
|
Folder 8 |
Code-Cummings 1989-1954 |
| Box 2 |
Folder 1 |
F 1988-1957 |
|
Folder 3 |
Golson 1972-1969 |
|
Folder 4 |
Golson 1968-1967 |
|
Folder 5 |
Habing-Heeschen 1984-1946 |
|
Folder 6 |
Henize-D. Hogg 1984-1961 |
|
Folder 7 |
H. Hogg-Huth 1980-1947 |
|
Folder 8 |
Herbig 1986-1955 |
| Box 3 |
Folder 1 |
K 1983-1955 |
|
Folder 3 |
Maccacaro-Mayer 1988-1952 |
|
Folder 4 |
McCarthy-Mezger 1993-1955 |
|
Folder 5 |
Michalitsianos-Murray 1984-1954 |
|
Folder 6 |
Mayor- Correspondence with Mayor 1992-1983 |
|
Folder 7 |
Mayor- Correspondence with Others and Notes 1986-1984 |
|
Folder 10 |
Osterbrock 1999-1994 |
|
Folder 11 |
Osterbrock 1993-1988 |
| Box 4 |
Folder 1 |
Osterbrock 1987-1985 |
|
Folder 2 |
Osterbrock 1984-1977 |
|
Folder 3 |
Osterbrock 1976-1965 |
|
Folder 4 |
Osterbrock 1963-1952 |
|
Folder 5 |
Pacholczyk-Pismis 1988-1958 |
|
Folder 6 |
Plaut-Purton 1986-1958 |
|
Folder 8 |
Sadler-Scott 1995-1955 |
|
Folder 9 |
Seaton-Silk 1986-1953 |
|
Folder 10 |
Simpson-Snijders 1988-1959 |
|
Folder 11 |
Snow-Spinrad 1979-1963 |
| Box 5 |
Folder 1 |
Spitzer-Swings 1982-1946 |
|
Folder 5 |
Wade-Weymann 1986-1956 |
|
Folder 6 |
White-Wynn 1986-1958 |
|
Folder 7 |
Westerlund 1979-1960 |
Boxes 5-7
Contains correspondence and some notes regarding Johnson's research work. Most of the research projects took place during his years at Lockheed, but some of the files contain earlier and later notes and correspondence. Some later files pertain to his work as a lecturer at Stanford University and his participation in the American Astronomical Society's Visiting Professor Program.
| Box 5 |
Folder 10 |
Cerro-Tololo 1984-1969 |
|
Folder 11 |
Eastman Kodak 1969-1961 |
|
Folder 12 |
Edinburgh GALAXY Machine 1976-1968 |
|
Folder 13 |
Far Infrared Characteristics of K Dwarfs with H-Alpha Emission 1985 |
|
Folder 14 |
Galactic X-Ray Statistics and Cluster Sources 1975-1965 |
|
Folder 15 |
Haystock Observatory 1975-1970 |
|
Folder 16 |
HEAO-B Stars 1980-1978 |
| Box 6 |
Folder 1 |
IRAS/DRACO 1986-1985 |
|
Folder 2 |
Jones-Chappell Clusters 1985-1981 |
|
Folder 3 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory 1980-1975 |
|
Folder 4 |
Kitt Peak National Observatory 1975-1963 |
|
Folder 5 |
Lx ≥ 1029 (Origins and Ages) 1983-1982 |
|
Folder 6 |
Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC) and Small Magellanic Cloud (SMC) 1973-1959 |
|
Folder 7 |
M31 Spiral Dust Arms and IAU No. 52 1982-1972 |
|
Folder 8 |
M31 Spiral Dust Arms and IAU No. 52 Photographs |
|
Folder 9 |
M82 and NGC 4449 1975-1963 |
|
Folder 10 |
Mediterranean, Chinese, and Moslem Astronomy 1960-1959 |
|
Folder 11 |
NGC 5128 (Centaurus A) 1978-1962 |
|
Folder 12 |
NGC 6888 and NGC 2359 1965-1963 |
|
Folder 13 |
NSF Proposal 1980 |
| Box 7 |
Folder 1 |
Palomar Observatory (Hale) 1973-1966 |
|
Folder 2 |
Palomar Observatory (Hale) 1965-1961 |
|
Folder 3 |
Publication- "Optical Survey of IRAS Fields in the DRACO Cloud Region" 1986-1985 |
|
Folder 4 |
Rome IAU Symposium 1970-1968 |
|
Folder 5 |
Strömgren Symposium 1978-1977 |
|
Folder 6 |
Peter Sturrock and Stanford 1989-1965 |
|
Folder 7 |
U.K. Schmidt Telescope Unit 1986-1977 |
|
Folder 8 |
Van Biesbroeck 1972 |
|
Folder 9 |
Visiting AAS Professor Program 1999-1969 |
|
Folder 10 |
Visiting AAS Professor Program 1968-1960 |
|
Folder 11 |
VLA/AJ2 - Planetary Nebulae 1984-1977 |
|
Folder 12 |
Wolf 630/EXOSAT 1987-1986 |
Boxes 7-8
Contains extensive correspondence between Bruce Stephenson and Johnson. Johnson's correspondence files were supplemented by Stephenson's records, which he gave to Johnson in 1994. Much of the correspondence relates to the men's research, their collaborations, and their personal relationship.
| Box 7 |
Folder 13 |
Correspondence 1997-1976 |
| Box 8 |
Folder 1 |
Correspondence 1974-1968 |
|
Folder 2 |
Correspondence 1967-Nov. 1966 |
|
Folder 3 |
Correspondence Oct. 1966-Jan. 1966 |
|
Folder 4 |
Correspondence 1965-1951 |
|
Folder 5 |
Correspondence 1950-1949 |
1 folder
Correspondence about the creation, set up, and administration of the Joint Discussion on X-Ray Astronomy at the Prague meeting of the International Astronomical Union in 1967.
| Box 8 |
Folder 6 |
Correspondence 1966-1967 |
Box 8
Course notes at University of Chicago: Astr. 301 by Chandrasekhar, Astr. 371 Stellar Spectroscopy by Bidelman, Astr. 377 Stellar Atmospheres II by Strömgren, Astr. 385 Celestial Mechanics by Kuiper, Astr. 386 Interstellar Problems by Strömgren. Also contains notes from Yerkes Observatory Colloquia No. 405-540; from the Hamburg IAU meetings of 1964; and from an NSF conference for teachers of astronomy at Berkeley in 1954.
| Box 8 |
Folder 7 |
Book 6 1950-1952 |
|
Folder 11 |
Book 15 1952-1954 |
Boxes 7-8
Restricted until 2075.
Referee reports on journal articles, funding proposals, and assessments of professional personnel for promotions and society memberships. The reports were made for The Astrophysical Journal, Revista Mexicana de Astronomia y Astrofisica, Nature, the National Science Foundation, NASA, The Astronomical Journal, Cornell, The Geophysical Journal, the American Geophysical Union, Astronomy and Astrophysics, the University of Illinois, and Research Corporation.
The permission of Hugh Johnson or his heirs is required for access to the Referee Reports until 2075.
| Box 9 |
Folder 1 |
Referee Reports 1989-1983 |
|
Folder 2 |
Referee Reports 1982-1981 |
|
Folder 3 |
Referee Reports 1980-1978 |
|
Folder 4 |
Referee Reports 1977-1974 |
|
Folder 5 |
Referee Reports 1973-1967 |
